From The Disciple To Laila Aur Satt Geet, 11 Underrated Desi Films That Could Have Made It To Oscars

Earning a nomination at the prestigious Oscars awards ceremony is something that India has always aspired for. The only films to have earned a nomination so far from India include Mother India (1957), Salaam Bombay! (1988) and Lagaan (2001).

This year not one or two but several Indian films entered the Oscar 2021 race, however, they couldn't bag a nomination. Jallikattu, which was India's official entry in the Best International Feature category at the 93rd Academy Awards couldn't bag a spot in the final five.

Nonetheless, there were several great films that were released this year, which could have perhaps made it to the Oscars 2021.

1. The Disciple

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Chaitanya Tamhane's Marathi film The Disciple is the first Indian film in 30 years to have won at the Venice Film Festival. It is a follow-up to his debut feature Court. Four-time Oscar-winning filmmaker Alfonso Cuoron was serving as executive producer on the movie.

2. Laila Aur Satt Geet

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The film is an allegory of Kashmir, a feminist fairy tale about a woman whose wandering heart is the personification of Kashmir, which is torn between the powers trying to conquer her soul. The film had premiered at the Berlin Film Festival last year.

3. Eeb Allay Ooo

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Prateek Vats¡¯s film about monkeys is a social satire that surprises you with a dark ending. The film shows a giant mirror to the society to introspect their attitudes about migrants and how animals and human beings are treated.

4. Bebaak

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This short film backed by Anurag Kashyap stars Nawazuddin Siddiqui. It tells us a tale based on a real-life incident about a girl and her ambition as she negotiates the world and her identity.

5. Nasir

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This Arun Karthick directorial looks at various topics like Islamophobia, fear of belonging from minority and hate speech among others. It tells the harmful side-effects of the communal divide. The story revolves around a man and the people he meets, the job he has, and his thoughts in everyday life.

6. Bittersweet

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This Marathi film is hard-hitting. It revolves around Saguna who is forced to quit college because of financial issues to work on sugarcane fields during the cutting season, a physically demanding job that gives no respite to the workers.

7. Kalira Atita

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This Odia film revolves around the life of a man belonging to Odisha¡¯s Satavaya village, which has been swallowed by the rising sea level. The film speaks of the emotional impact of climate change.

8. Shikara

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Hailed as a "story of resilience in the face of insurmountable odds¡±, Vidhu Vinod Chopra's Shikara: The Untold Story Of Kashmiri Pandits addresses the issue of ethnic cleansing and riots that took place in Kashmir in the year 1989.

9. Paava Kadhaigal

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Paava Kadhaigal is a Tamil film that revolves around injustice in different walks of life -- whether it is because of one's sexuality, caste-based violence or honor killing. It is a hard-hitting tale that shows a mirror to society.

10. Bhonsle

Manoj Bajpayee in Bhosle / Twitter

This film hailed as the masterclass of acting by Manoj Bajpayee narrated the story of the bond between a retired cop Ganpath Bhonsle and migrants who are seen as outsiders in Mumbai. For the film, Bajapyee had recently won a National Award.

11. Chippa

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The film follows the story of a little boy who lives on the street has several aspirations, some are big and some are as simple as finding his parents. On a wintry night, he heads out alone to embark on his own journey in the city of Kolkata. He comes close to meeting his father but destiny had something else in the plan for him. The movie stars Lion and Sacred Games kid Sunny Pawar.